infiniversefandomcom-20200214-history
Johannes d'al Findlay
Johannes d'al Findlay is the Duke of Cunaris, the Knight-Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Jerome, a Banecaster of the 8th caliber, and Colonel of the Royal Dragoon Regiment. Personality The Duke of Cunaris is a kind and charitable man, often compared to a fatherly figure to a Dragoon Officer who has a good relationship with him. He takes pride in the achievements of his regiment, and becomes enraged when Dragoon officers commit acts of ruthlessness unsanctioned by the King's Articles of War. He is a conscientious colonel, who tries to avoid sending men into battle when he doesn't believe they are ready. Biography Early Life Sir Johannes d'al Findlay was born in 556 OIE, as the eldest son and heir to Arturo d'al Findlay, the 3rd Duke of Cunaris and the founder of the Royal Dragoons. Little is known about his early life, other than that he was friends with the Duke of Havenport, and became Duke Cunaris in 581 OIE when his father passed away. Military Career The Dozen Years War When war broke out in 601 OIE, the Royal Dragoons were raised to full strength in preparation for the conflict, and suddenly found itself with a sudden influx of young junior officers. Although the Tierran Army requires no formal training or instruction for its officers, the Duke make the decision to put them through an improvised training regime anyway. Because House Findlay owed a great deal of money to House Cazarosta of Leoniscourt, who had helped fund the regiment with a series of interest-free loans, Duke Cunaris was forced to accept the Earl of Leoniscourt's deathborn ward, Caius d'al Cazarosta, into the regiment. Before the Regiment was shipped to Antar, the Duke observed his regiment as it performed a mock charge, under the command of Cornet Cazarosta. Arrival in Antar The Dragoon Regiment arrived in Antar in the Spring of 602. Clad in full knightly armour, the Duke addressed his regiment in Noringia's town square, giving a speech to the assembled men before giving his officers the orders that were meant to split them up throughout Antar into troops and patrols. Managing the Regiment Because the Dragoons were too divided to act at the Regimental level, Cunaris spent the first half of the war performing administrative work. He personally oversaw the Dragoon Officer's promotion to Lieutenant, and later the Dragoon Officer was placed on his staff. This soon proved to be a superfluous position, as there was nothing for the protagonist to actually do. Eventually Cunaris took pity on him and put him on leave. If the Dragoon Officer insists on remaining on his staff, he can then deepen his relationship to the Duke by either reading from the Duke's library or engaging him in conversation. When the Royal Dragoons were permitted to raise six troops per Squadron instead of five, the Duke gave one of the new openings to the Dragoon Officer. When the Dragoon Officer complained about the poor quality of his men, the Duke put him on reserve duty, in order to give him enough time to drill them into shape. After the death of Captain Montez, Cunaris promoted Davis d'al Elson to Captain, and gave him permission to take the Dragoon Officer and 6th Troop with him to engage a small Antari force. If the engagement is successful, Cunaris will congratulate them for their accomplishment. If the Dragoon Officer committed a massacre during the battle, the Duke will also reprimand the Dragoon Officer, threatening to throw him out of the regiment if a similar incident happens again. When the Dragoon Officer came stumbling back from a patrol after detecting Khorobirit's army, Cunaris took the news directly to Wulfram. Wulfram took the news in stride, ignoring Cunaris's concerns and ordering him to call a staff-meeting. Battle of Blogia Cunaris was finally given his chance to command the regiment in the field at the Battle of Blogia in 607 OIE. He was tasked with defending Castle Blogia, on the extreme left flank of Wulfram's army. His original orders were to defend the Castle against an Antari cavalry charge. After Wulfram's death and the destruction of the cavalry brigade, the situation changed. He called a meeting with all his officers, and it was decided that the regiment would have to act independently if the battle was to be salvaged. Lieutenant-colonel Marras suggested a flanking charge against the Antari infantry, which the rest of the regiment along with the Duke himself quickly agreed to. He ordered Captain Elson to leave two troops behind to guard the castle while the rest of the regiment formed up outside. The three Squadrons of Dragoons then launched themselves at the Antari flank, charging by the troop to maximize damage, and withdrew before the enemy could overwhelm them. The first charge was a success, but as the regiment was reforming, Prince Khorobirit suddenly ordered his five thousand light cavalry forward. Rather than withdraw to the castle, the Duke of Cunaris chose to launch a counter-charge, sacrificing his regiment to prevent Havenport's brigade from being overwhelmed. At some point during the battle, an Antari lance severed his spine. Although his men were able to evacuate him from the field and get him to the banehealers, he would never walk again. Post-Blogia Despite his disability, Cunaris was promoted to General of the Cavalry Brigade, but the position was purely administrative. While the Royal Dragoons and the White Rose Lancers were restored to full strength fairly quickly, it would be years before the other regiments of horse were restored as well. On a normal playthrough, Cunaris sends the Dragoon Officer to fight off an Antari raiding force, a doomed effort which ended in failure regardless of the Officer's decisions. Cunaris is sympathetic, however, and once again puts the Dragoon Officer on reserve duty. The Duke's eldest son, Renard d'al Findlay, arrives in Antar some time later, and Cunaris places him under the Dragoon Officer's command. On a disgraced playthrough, Cunaris summons the Disgraced Dragoon to his office immediately after 2nd Squadron's arrival in Antar. There, he makes it clear that he and the rest of the army knows the protagonist's exoneration was a fabrication, and that if the Dragoon Officer is treated poorly in the days to come, it is a fate the Officer entirely deserves. Renard is placed under Keane's command instead. Cunaris spent most of his time in southern Antar, doing all the administrative work necessary to keep the cavalry regiments supplied and reinforced. At some point the Duke's younger son, Cornet Laurent d'al Findlay, was brought to Antar as well, and placed on his staff. Second Battle of Kharangia Cunaris is present at the Second Battle of Kharangia. If the Dragoon Officer is present as well, Cunaris personally hands him a brevet promotion to Lieutenant-colonel, because the Dragoons were in need of a new field commander after Keane's disgrace. When Havenport outlines his battleplan, Cunaris is shocked to discover that he has been given command of an infantry-brigade, consisting of the Kentauri Highlanders, the 5th of Foot, the Experimental Corps, an artillery battery, and the Royal Dragoons as a reserve unit. It is the largest and most versatile brigade in the army. Havenport had hoped that giving him such an important brigade, along with a vital position on the right flank, would offset the sting of losing the cavalry brigade to Palliser. He was wrong; Cunaris objected, and although Havenport attempted to calm him, eventually Havenport himself lost his temper, bluntly pointing out that there was no use for a cavalry commander that couldn't ride a horse. Broken, Cunaris requests to be excused from the meeting, and Havenport agrees - likely recognizing that he had gone too far. Afterward the Dragoon Officer can be excused as well, and can then try to reassure Cunaris. If the protagonist has also mentored Renard, Cunaris will also request that the Dragoon Officer take Renard as a squire. In the end, Cunaris is able to put his personal feelings aside and do his duty, throwing himself into his preparations, and during the battle itself he performed admirably, devastating the enemy with artillery fire and banecasts. Depending on the Dragoon Offier's decision, Cunaris's brigade can take anywhere between twenty and thirty percent casualties. The End of the War Cunaris's precise role during the last two years of the war is unclear. He most likely retained his brigade command, but was probably put back to administrative work. He later participated in a tribunal to judge the disgraced Lieutenant-colonel Keane, and the Dragoon Officer can convince him to show mercy. If the Dragoon Officer tries to buy a promotion to Lieutenant-colonel, Cunaris has no choice but to accept, because the only alternative is Cazarosta, who is despised by Cunaris for his ruthlessness and his brutality. Quotes "...when we trade away our principles for expediency, we will eventually find ourselves in a position where we have neither."